By

Jesse had been waiting his whole life to fall in love—and then he started getting these letters from the perfect woman, Pamala. She seemed vulnerable. In need of protection. A classic beauty. He was totally devoted. They corresponded for years. And when something happens that really should change how he feels about her— he just can’t give it up. NPR’s social science correspondent Shankar Vedantam reports the story. He hosts the podcast Hidden Brain. (31 minutes)